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Residents decry city manager firing, raise allegations of racism and call for resignations
Summary
Dozens of residents used the council’s communication period to criticize recent personnel actions, call for resignations and demand transparency after the May 1 vote concerning the city manager. Speakers tied their remarks to governance, audits and budget priorities.
Dozens of residents addressed the Hopewell City Council during the meeting’s public-comment period to criticize recent personnel decisions and to call for greater transparency from elected officials.
The comments followed earlier council action and public discussion about the city manager’s employment status. Several speakers directly tied the personnel moves to broader governance and equity concerns: “We believe that all men are created equal,” said Reverend William Avon King, invoking civil-rights language as he urged the council to “stand up against injustice.”
Multiple other speakers urged the council to reverse course or resign. “I saw more hate… I saw hate on this council,” Janice Denton said, referencing conduct she said had persisted over the past two years. Ed Hauser criticized councillors for limiting public comment and said, “We elected y’all so we could speak so you could be the voice of us.”
Other residents amplified those concerns and added fiscal and service complaints. Darling Thompson said the city’s budget and assessment practices had been mishandled and described an “over assessment of your taxes” in recent years. Several commenters asked for audits or independent reviews and urged the council to be accountable to residents.
Council members did not take additional personnel action during the public-comment period. The meeting included a later vote that failed to add a separate agenda item asking a councillor to answer whether an absent member’s uncast vote should be treated as a “no” under council rules — a procedural question raised repeatedly in public remarks and closed-session references.
The public remarks are likely to increase pressure on the council to provide formal responses or hearings on the personnel and procedural disputes. Council staff and the city attorney repeatedly cautioned speakers about disclosing closed-session material in open session and stressed legal constraints on certain questions.
